The Baltimore Woods Nature Center is hosting an unusual art collection devoted to insects.

Artist Ellen Haffar says the little critters remind her of her childhood. 

"They are marvelous little beasts that inspire my imagination," said Haffar. "I think about when we were kids and the wonder that we had about insects."

Somehow that attitude changes over the years, as Google searches show.

"Most of the responses have to do with killing them so I want people to see them as I see them: magnificent, complex little creatures," Haffar added.

These are attributes she tries to highlight in her paintings.

"The shapes and the motion of the bees inspired me. Plus, the important jobs that they do in pollinating the flowers and the energy that they have and how hard they work every day," she said.

Haffar says her appreciation for insects developed after an interaction with a herd of elephants in Botswana.

"I wanted people to think about the creatures in their own backyard and to see it as similar to that where you have herds of animals," Haffar added. "We can have an impact on the environment. Sometimes with conservation, it can feel overwhelming and we wonder what we as individuals can do but in our own realm, in our own yards we can do something."

The paintings will be on display through the end of April.